1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, method, and an information processing program, which are capable of changing and using a plurality of applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
To date, a method of changing and using a plurality of applications in an information processing apparatus, such as a cellular-phone terminal, has been known as follows:
(1) A method of displaying a screen showing a list of applications once, and starting the application selected by the user from that list
(2) A method of providing each application with a mutual linkage function, and starting another application from a certain application by those application linkage functions
(3) A method of providing each application with a mutual linkage function, and directly using another application function from a certain application by those application linkage functions.
Also, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-347782 (refer to FIGS. 4, 5, and 7) has disclosed an electronic system in which when displays are changed in two ways between a first display screen showing one function and a second display screen showing another function, the display modes at screen-change time are controlled on the basis of a hierarchical relationship between a level including one function and a level including another function. By the technique described in the above publication, in a mobile electronic system having a smaller display screen in a list-type mobile information processing apparatus, etc., in particular, including a plurality of functions in multiple layers, the user is allowed to visually know an operation state or a selection state with ease, thereby improving the operationality.